Katz Delicatessen
205 E Houston StNew York, NY 10002
b/t Avenue A & Norfolk St
Lower East Side
- Go – Get up and get Grubbin!
- InSane – Price is not, but shouldn’t stop you.
The world famous delicatessen was the motivation for an impromptu trip across the country to the big apple. Tv shows and personal friends have raved about the pastrami sandwich that ruins all other pastrami sandwiches for the rest of your life. Something so good is worth the travel, at least it is for someone (crazy) like me. I’ve traveled 4 hours for a hot dog, why not 8 for a sandwich, a pastrami one at that? PFF, buckle me in call me Gusieppe and launch that jet I am coming Manhattan!
Established before most of the neighborhood was built, Katz sits In large brick building on the corner of a busy street. At the entrance confusion quickly infuses as there are lines coming inside and going outside without order. Some people are walking up to the counter and others waiting for seats. A few wide eyed seconds go by and some asks if we’d like to be seated or order to go. Seated wise guy I’ve come along way. To no shortage of confusion the hostess hands us two tickets with rows of weird numbers in the back and says if we lose the tickets it’s a $50 charge each. “Ok” wtF?? I’ll guard this better than my wallet since it’s more than I have in it anyways.
The walls are covered in framed photos you’d find at any elderly persons home. You know the ones that haven’t been dusted for a couple decades. The high ceilings show signs of wear, stains, poor lighting and most importantly a sign of “where Harry met Sally”. Cool didn’t know the famous organism scene from the icon movie was shot right here at this table.
We make way to the back of the house where we take a seat. The waitress whom may have helped open the place up back in the 1800s takes the shorthand order. I of course ordered the pastrami with Swiss and wanted a taste of a cold sandwich which made it easy to order as they only have one. The salami. In addition a order or beans and fries for carb counter weight.
What seemed like a few short seconds later she returned like ghost with a pile of fries, baked beans, pickled and raw cucumbers. Hmm raw cucumber with a pinch of salt, sealing vinegar such a traditional Persian treat I did not know was a Jewish thing too.
36 seconds later arrives the plate of the two sandwiches. At first sight of the sandwich my heart sank. Wtf is this. Meat and bread? Where’s the rest of it?! How stupid could I be. A city where people are dumb enough to live on top of each other, travel underground like sewer critters claim the worlds best pastrami sandwich?!?!?!?!?!? Err. I picked up the lifeless pile and just let go to expectations. I bit softly Into the pastrami and was mesmerized as my teeth cut through like a light saber.
The pastrami glowed along the roots of my tongue lines. The salty, smokey meat was not from anything I’d tasted before. The meat to fat ratio was perfection. The Swiss cheese melted shortly and softened the pallet and provided that gentle creamy touch to enhance the pastrami. The club bread holding the masterpiece was another surprise; soft, yet sturdy to provide the housing crunch needed to remind you that this is a sandwich. Bite after bite the sandwich became better and better as I started to appreciate the time and focus it took to make something so familiar so new.
The cold In-house pastrami was thick. Filled a mile high not even a slice of cheese was in it. Balance is what comes to mind. Salamis usually leave a grease fat residue and others are overloaded with spice; Yet this might also be the best salami sandwich I’ve ever had. Slightly overwhelming to the amount of just meat ratio there was nothing to break the concentrated salmi flavor that was okay. Because it’s the best salami I’ve also ever tasted.
The beans were average and meant to be the filler. The steak fries were worth the order as starched and crisper than expected. The carb hit all the right places. Overall Katz pastrami goes down in the top 2 sandwiches I’ve ever had. It did live up to the hype and delivered big!
Future:
If I took over ownership of Katz tomorrow there is not much I would change. Something being run for that long is doing something right that no one can buy, and that’s time. I’d slowly clean up some of the walls and ceilings to provide a little more clean feel. A fresh coat of paint or a few tables repaired. Anything that could be done between the hours of operation. On the food side I would however offer some condiments like shredded lettuce, sharp cheddar, tomato and mayo. Basic but would go along way for the non alpha carnivores. Other than that I am sure Katz will be for another 100 grand years.
WANDERGRUB 